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rogersn2's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
brandongryder's review against another edition
5.0
Treasure hunt, grail quest, cathedrals, history...what is there not to love.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
Pair up Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon (The Da Vinci Code) with the adventures of Indiana Jones and you’ll get some literary version of Arthur Prescott, an obsessive bibliophile. Arthur in on a quest through time to discover a missing manuscript, the unknown history of an English Cathedral, and the secret of the Holy Grail. I’m a big fan of Charlie Lovett’s “books about books” novels — a book nerds delight.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
katie_laning's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
gabmc's review against another edition
4.0
This is a lovely, refreshing book - a book about books, history, libraries, friends and the value of reading. Arthur Prescott was named for the mythical King Arthur and has always had a fascination with Arthurian lore. He spent much of his childhood with his grandfather, reading books about King Arthur in the (fictional) Cathedral City of Barchester. Arthur has also spent his life enthralled with the idea of the holy grail. Now, he lectures in English at Barchester University - a horrible modern institution. So in his free time he loves being surrounded by ancient manuscripts at the Cathedral library. He is not a religious man, but he loves English history, and so much of that revolved around religions - so it is not strange to him that he attends services at the cathedral. His neat life is upturned one day when he meets Bethany Davis, an American postgraduate student who has come to Barchester to digitise the library. The pair form an unlikely friendship - from the outside it seems that Arthur's and Bethany's goals are different - but they actually both love and see the value in the beautiful historical manuscripts and want them shared with the world.
amlibera's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book of many parts - a time split mystery, a quirky comedic love story, an homage to Trollope's Barchester, an exploration of Christian faith. I liked all the parts. They never fit quite as smoothly together as one might wish but sometimes I like a book that doesn't quite succeed but chooses its own path. Probably really 3.5 stars but again, sometimes a book earns an extra half of a star just for attempting something unusual.
wtayjay's review against another edition
3.0
Catch a longer review on my brand new blog: http://thenovelenthusiast.com/book-review-the-lost-book-of-the-grail-by-charlie-lovett/
I received an advance copy of this through the Goodreads giveaways. Ultimately, I felt pretty okay about this one. There were definitely some things that I liked, like the history and mystery of the grail. I thought the dialogue could use some polishing, and the setting could sometimes use a change of scenery. If you're a fan of historical fiction, I say go for it! 3/5 stars.
I received an advance copy of this through the Goodreads giveaways. Ultimately, I felt pretty okay about this one. There were definitely some things that I liked, like the history and mystery of the grail. I thought the dialogue could use some polishing, and the setting could sometimes use a change of scenery. If you're a fan of historical fiction, I say go for it! 3/5 stars.
ricefun's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This was my second attempt to read this book. The first time I abandoned it because it was moving too slowly (it was also early in COVID, so I was having a difficult time concentrating). Everything about the plot of this book made me believe I would love it, but once again I had a difficult time getting into the story. Once I did, I enjoyed the setting and the mystery. I never connected deeply with any of the characters and often had to remind myself to read another chapter to just get it done. I am using this as a "book about something lost or found" for the 2024 ICT Reading Challenge.
sarahslight's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25